Somerville



J. H. WILLIAMS.

Car Brake.

Patented Mar. 12,1867.

No. 62,912, K

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Letters Patent No. 62,912, dated lilcrcit 12, 1867.

' IMPROVED can BRAKE.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHNH. WILLIAMS, of Somerville, in the county of Somerset, and State of New Jersey,-

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Brakes, and that the following description, taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forththe nature and principles of my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished i'rom all othersof a similar class, together with such parts as I claim, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent. i I

The present invention consists principally in interposing between the ordinary brake-shaft, or any cquivulent device therefor, and the parts by which the brake-shoes are brought to bear upon the car-wheels, a spring or springs, in such amanner that they will act to hold the brake-shoes against the car-wheels, and if relieved therefrom, to bring them to bear uponwthe same; the said spring or springs, when the brake-shoes are released from the wheels, being compressed and so held in any proper manner, when being relieved, by their reaction the brake-shoes are brought to bear upon the car-wheels. In the accompanying plate of drawings my improvements in car-brakes are illustrated--- Figure 1 being a plan view of the under side of a car, having them applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

Figure 3 a plan view of a portion of one end of the car platform.

Figure 4 a side elevation of the same; and

Figures 5 and 6 similar views to figs. 3 and 4 respectively, but showinga footdever as substituted for the: brake-shaft.

A, in the drawings, represents the platform of the car, supported upon two trucks, B B, one at each end, having wheels, C, as in ordinary railroad cartrucks. D D the brake-shoes, attached to cross-bars, E, and arranged with regard tov the wheels 0 so as to bear against their peripheries-in a manner similar to the car brakes now in common use. F the brake-rods, provided with a hand-wheel, G, at their upper ends/for convenience in turning them; these brake-rods being located one at each end of the platform, through the thickness of which they extend, projecting on the under side. H chains, secured to the lower end of the brake-rods, one to each of the same, from which they extend under the car platform toward the centre of the same, where they are both hung or connected to a common wheel or drum, I, arranged and hung upon the under side of the our platform, so as to turn thereon, the points of connection of the two chains H tothedrum I being'diametrically opposite to each other, or nearly so. J a chain, connected with wheel at one point of the same where one-of the chains H is hung to it, which chain J forms a continuation of the said chain H, and may be a part of the same or made separate therefrom. K a lever-arm, hung upon a fulcrum-pinat L, to the under side of the car platform, across which it extends, and has connected or hung to it at one end, M, the chain J, hereinbefore referred to. N two chains, hung to levera rm K, the one at a point, 0, between the fulcrum-pin L and end M, and theother upon the opposite side of the fulcru m pin L, at a distance therefrom equal, or nearly so, to the point 0. These chains N extend from the lever K in opposite directions, and are both connected to the upper ends of similar vertical lever-arm's, O which,'at their lower ends,- are hung to the inner cross-bars E, provided with brake-shoes, as has been hereinbefore described, and through connecting-rods, P, with the similar crossbars at the two ends of the car-platform, as in ordinary car brakes, and thereforc n'eeding no further particular description herein. Q a rod, pivoted to the end B of'lever K, which rod extends and plays through guidebrackets'; S, secured to the under side of the car platform, moving in aline corresponding with the length of the car. T a spring, coiled around the rod 0 between the two guide-brackets S. This springv is confined between thescrew-nut V, upon one portion of the said rod Q and the loose collar V of the same, and through its arrangement and connection with the lever K and the connection of the latter with the cross-bars carrying the brake-shoes, acts tosothrow, swing,'or turn the said lever K as to bring the brake-shoes against and to bear upon the peripheries of the car-whcels.'

Thus, from the.above description, it is plain to be understood that, first, through the action of the spring 'l the brake-shoes are brought to bear upon the car-wheels, where it also serves to hold them, with a pressure or force corresponding to the stren th of the spring employed or to the tension of the same, to which it may have been adjusted through the screw-nut U, and that, second, to release the brake-shoes from the car-wheels it-is necessary to wind npeither one or both oi'the chains H, upon the brakeshafts to which they are hung, suiiiciently to so turn the lever K that, through the chains 0 connecting it with the brake-shoe bars E, it will swing the said bars in the proper direction to carry the brake-shoes away from the car-wheels and thus leave them free to turn. I

By the winding up the chains H, as above described, the sprin'gT is compressed in a degree proportionate thereto, in which condition it is held, in the present instance, by holding the brake-shafts, either one or both, as the casemay be, so that they cannot turn to unwind the chains H, through the pawls W, upon the upper side of the car platform, and engaged with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels X, attached to'th e brake-shafts, one to each of the same, as plainly shown in the drawings, more especially in figs 3 and 5. With the spring T com pressed and held as above described, it is plainly apparent that if the pawls are released thespring is thus set free, when, by the force accumulated in the same through its compression, the brake-shoes are automatically brought to bear upon the car-wheels with aforce proportionate thereto, and there maintained until relieved by the winding up of the chains H, as before. I w i It may be here observed, that in my improved car brakes, when the chains are unwound from the brakerods, the brakes are on', and vice oeroa, the brakes being put on by the spring in lieu of the brake-rods, as heretofore. I

In lieu of using brake-rods, as above described, for taking oll' the brakes, foot-levers, 'Y, may he used, one arrangement ofwhich is shown in 5 and G, foot-levers being preferable for st'ect ears drawn by horses, as with them both hands of the driver are free to be used for driving the horses, which, as is evident to all, is an advantage of greatimportance in the safe running of street cars. I i

' If desired to place the brakes of each and every car under the control of the engineer or any person upon the train, whether he is in one or the other of the cars composing it, an arrangement of parts to be now described, and which forms a part of the present invention, may be applied to thepawl for holding the brake-shaft, and connected, through a cord, .chain, or any other suitable connection, the one witlr the other, extending to thelocomotive-eab one arrangement of such parts being shown in figs. 3 and 4, to which special reference is now had. .The pawl lV is hung so as to swing in a vertical plane or direction, resting by its outer e'nd, a-, upon an elastic or spring top, I), arranged to play up and down in a suitable-shaped socket or recess thereof, formed-in the car platform. On this end of the pawl, one end of a lover, c, rests, which is hung so as -to swing up and down in a vertical plane, the other end of said lover being connected through wires (1, with the cross-nrmf of an arm, 1, hung to the upper end of a post, 71, so as toswing in a horizontal plane thereon. To the outer end of horizontal swinging arm g, the operating cord or chain, etc., extending through the cars, is to be hung, by the pulling of which the said arm will be swung, either to the right or left, as the casemay be, and thus through its connection with the pawl, raising and disconnecting it from the teeth ofpthe ratchet-wheel on the brake-shaft, which is then free to turn from the action of the spring for putting on the brakes. Although I have herein particularly described my improvements as applied to the brake of a railway car, it is obvious that they can be readily adapted to other land conveyance, such as, for instance, street cars, omnibus es, coaches, carriages, wagons, etc., and therefore I do not intend to limit myself to any one particular application of them. In lieu of using a coiled spring, as has been explained, a rubber cushion may be employed, as well also as various other forms of springs. If desired at any time to put the brakes on without the full force of the spring at once, by simply holding the brakeeshaft wheel with the hands, the force with which the brakes are put on by the spring can be restrained at pleasure, and thus regulated in their action. In lieu of only one spring being employed, more than one can be arranged upon each car. I i I p Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The drum I, lever K, spring T, chains H J and N, when all are constructed and arranged as herein set t'orth for the purpose specified. i

2. The arrangement ofthe lever c, connecting-chains or wires d, and horizontal swinging-arm g, in combination with the pawl W, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. The footlever 3 connected with'thebrakechain, and arranged substantially and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this'14th day of November, 186?. J. H. WILLIAMS' Witnesses:

WM. DEAN OvnnnLL, Atnuur W. 13mm; 

